Farewell
by Jolinar773
Summary: When Edge reached the breaking point after destroying Earth, he found consolation in Faize's arms. Could it possibly work the other way around?


**Greetings! :)**

**This is my first Star Ocean TLH fic since I finished the game about two days ago at last... and must say I cried so heard I couldn't sleep that night. Every time without fail I keep saying I won't ever play JRPG _ever_ again when my favourite character turns into an enemy, but it's no use. These are far too addictive Y_Y**

**Anyway, this is just a short smut I couldn't get out of my head for the life of me as well as a tribute to Faize, whom I love very deeply. *bows her head.***

**Warning for smut, yaoi lemon (male x male sex), implied explicitness and a character death (?). Also, I don't own Star Ocean or any of the characters, though I wouldn't say no to Armuat at all! *dreamy eyes***

**Please enjoy and excuse any mistakes, I'm not a native speaker and did not use beta for this one :)**

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><p>Deftly, he stumbled through the darkened room. The vast, glittering star ocean outside the window did nothing to help him navigate his path, however he knew the place by heart. And it wasn't like there was anywhere to get lost in this little confined space anyway. With certainty of someone knowing precisely what he was looking for, he felt for the sheets and the figure wrapped within them. It stirred and let out a low groan.<p>

"Wha?" its voice hoarse from sleep, the figure turned to see who it was. "Faize? What're you-"

But two slim fingers rested on warm lips, halting the flow of words. The bed slumped under his weight as the Eldarian slipped under the blankets. He realized he had never taken initiative before, not that there were that many occasions, but now things were completely different. _He_ was completely different. He felt it with every fibre of his being since the moment he overheard the two acolytes' conversation. Seen the brooche lying on the cold, stone floor of the Purgatorium.

"Edge." he whispered into the silence, desperately seeking the warmth of the human's body.

The simple sound of his name caused the young captain to still and let himself be pushed onto his back. His eyes adjusted to the darkness by now and he could see the outline of Faize hovering above him as the Eldarian straddled him. Though he couldn't say it felt uncomfortable, Edge still couldn't quite get over the initial shock of the situation they now found themselves in. He realized it was he who had made the first step, back when he almost lost his mind after their departure from the Earth he so foolishly destroyed by his own naivety. But even though Faize was there to help him keep his sanity, he never since expressed the desire to repeat that one night's adventure.

Until now.

"Faize, what's going on?" he asked with genuine concern, though letting the alien's fingers roam hungrily over his scantily dressed body, taking clothes off along the way. "You're acting strange since we came back from Roak. Is something wrong?"

The Eldarian paused for a moment. His eyes gleamed strangely as they caught the light of the stars; as if they burned crimson. Then he smiled, knowing Edge could see it even in the darkness. "I'm fine. You're just imagining things."

Now that he thought about it, it was such a pathetic lie there was no wonder even the dense Edge Maverick saw through it. But even so, the human did not force the issue. Low moan escaped his lips as he felt agile hands on the move again and it came to him surprisingly naturaly to properly respond with his own clumsy attempts of reciprocation.

Lips were sealed with drawn, sultry kiss while fingers explored every single inch of lithe, heated bodies intertwined under the thin sheets. Tongue slipped past tongue to explore the cavernous depths of warm, wet mouth. Fingertips sauntered over soft, smooth skin, feeling the muscles of arms, chest and abdomen shifting with every short, hitched breath.

Faize never understood the reason behind Edge's desperate actions back then, but now he thought, he could see it all at last. It was never about comforting the body. He wanted to know. To make sure he could still _feel_ something. Anything. And Faize now succumbed to the very same desire to fill the black hole that had appeared within his heart. If Edge could get over it this way, he could too.

Deliberately slowly, Faize moved lower, his thin body pressed fully against the broader one beneath him. Edge's seeking touches feathered over the arch of his shoulders and winded into sleek, malachite-colored hair. Fingertips copied the soft edges of long, pointed ears that kept fascinating the human almost as much as the Eldarian's brilliantly violet eyes.

Faize responded in his own way. His hands reached to cover Edge's, and lazily he turned his head the tiniest bit to kiss the blonde's palm. Hot breath flowed from slightly parted lips kissing their way to the vulnerable area of the captain's wrist. Faize could feel a quickened pulse as he placed a lingering kiss there. It invigorated him; prompted him to take things further. And that he did.

Propping up on his free hand, he sat up, arching his back at the same time he moved his hips, creating a sweet friction between their bodies as the hardening needs between their legs brushed together. Entirely on purpose the Eldarian let out a loud, luscious moan that had threatened to sever the last sinews of his lover's sanity, just as he expected. His tongue flickered over sensitive skin of the human's hand still clutched in his, sliding along the delicate web between his fingers as he took two of them into his mouth.

The ragged intake of breath hissing through Edge's lips held both, the sign of longing and restraint. Emerald eyes hazed with desire, searched for their counterparts - pair of heavy-lidded amethysts gleaming within Faize's shadowy face hiding beneath the strands of his hair. Completely enthralled by the sight, the human obediently moved his fingers within the hot wetness of the other's mouth, his free hand wrapping a little bit hesitantly around his twitching, burning arousal. It still felt weird in every possible sense of the word, and he wasn't quite sure if he was doing it right, however small sounds escaping Faize's throat had to be indication enough.

Finally the Eldarian released Edge's slick digits, moving up and higher just enough to lead him to the tight ring of muscle already anticipating an intrusion. Edge flinched at the contact and recoiled, considering very much abandoning this crazy idea.

However getting cold feet now wasn't really an option anymore.

Sensing the human's hesitation, Faize gritted his teeth and as sword-calloused fingertips rubbed against him he moved, forcing one to slide inside. It was enough to blast through any wall of insecurity Edge Maverick might still have left. Loosing himself completely to the rush of lust washing over his resigned mind he penetrated deeper, adding a second finger barely seconds later. He stretched and scissored, pulling Faize down into a lip-crushing kiss. He wanted it. Wanted him so badly he couldn't stand it, and that was the only thing that mattered to him right now. To ravish the depths of Faize's mouth; to bury himself within the tight heat; to hear more of those sweet, sweet sounds of pleasure drawing out of the pale, thin, parted lips.

And as if the Eldarian could read his mind, he broke the suffocating kiss to gasp for breath. He would never tell Edge he was faking all of it, hoping still against hope that the pleasure will come as soon as their bodies finally join. Dragging the human's hand out, Faize's actions were full of desperate impatience of someone who just wished to _feel_ what's it like being alive. His limbs trembled as he moved up just a little bit, knees resting on each side of the blond captain's hips. He supported himself with his palm resting against Edge's well-formed chest heaving with short, ragged breaths, while the other one slipped between their bodies and gripped his burning length. It was slick and leaking already. Pearl-white drops dripped from its tip as he gave it a few tentative strokes, before he maneuvered it to his entrance and slowly lowered himself onto it.

It was a completely different sensation than the last time. Faize's eyes watered, but it wasn't from the pain, because there was none. No pain, no pleasure, no nothing. He felt the dull ache of being taken as he roughly began sliding up and down, quickening his pace as Edge's fingertips dug into his hips, directing his movements, but that was it. He couldn't feel anything he had expected; anything he remembered feeling before. It brought tears into his eyes that trickled, hot and wet over his cheeks, unseen in the darkness swallowing the room. He listened to Edge's scrambling cries and felt the drumming of his heart within the cage of his ribs as he scratched the skin of the human's chest red, however it did not move him. Did not cause him to loose his mind, gain it back and loose it again like it did the last time.

And when Edge deftly reached to stroke Faize's neglected need, quickening his pace still before he went rigid and finally crossed the threshold, the Eldarian only hissed, dimly registering being filled with hot lava as well as releasing his own tension all over their stomachs and abdomens.

So that was it. He was no longer able to feel anything, he realized it now. And it would pain him if he were able to experience anything of the sort. However with things the way they were, the only thing he _could_ still feel was... emptiness. Deep, botomless pit of pure, impenetrable darkness consuming him from the inside out.

Just like the one he was about to fall into.

If only that stupid human let go of his hand. If only he had stopped trying to pull Faize up.

And it was at that moment when Faize, for the first time since Roak, felt his heart throb with pain and his insides clench with fear. It was at that moment he had found what he was so desperately searching for all this time. The strength to save everyone he held dear. He realized, as he deliberately released Edge's hand, that it never could have been in the power of a single individual to achieve such goal in the first place. It was foolish of him to think otherwise. He did not deserve their compassion after what he had done. Was not worthy of that broken cry of his name that had reached his ears as he fell.

"... forgive me." he mouthed as a single diamond tear glittered on his closed eyelashes and disappeared into the darkness that had swallowed him whole.

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><p><strong>Of course feel free to leave reviews, even criticism is welcomed! :) Authors always like to know their work is appreciated :)<strong>


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